


Titan

by HeadOfSpectre



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Jedi, Lightsabers, Major Original Character(s), Original Character(s), Other, Space Battles, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-11
Updated: 2018-09-19
Packaged: 2019-07-10 23:26:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15959804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeadOfSpectre/pseuds/HeadOfSpectre
Summary: Five years after a group of hero's stopped the death of the last of the four Tapu, and prevented the collapse of the Universe, the dreaded slayer of the Jedi returns, seemingly to seek the destruction of the Universe, and bringing Aether into a war with a formidable enemy who longs toallow a creature once banished into the void to return and remake the Universe as it sees fit!





	1. Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah I'm doing this again because it's fun.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor has a dream.

The home office of Doctor Ricardo Carillo was dark, save for the low light of his single screen. He looked over a few readings from a scanner, well aware of the late hour, but not tired enough to sleep.

Really his ‘work’ was only a facade of work. He was lost in his own thoughts, reflecting on the dream that had startled him from slumber… It wasn’t an unusual dream. He’d had it before. He’d lived it once, and its events were far from the most significant in his life.

But now he couldn’t help but dwell on them… How many years since that particular battle? Thirty? While Ricardo had never been a soldier, he’d seen too much battle for his liking. A small part of him felt disturbed that he couldn’t pinpoint this exact one.

He’d long forgotten the name of the planet he was on. But he never quite forgot the ruins. Ancient stone that had been long forgotten in the middle of a massive lake. It was uninhabited, it’s former occupants long dead and these ruins were all that was left of them. The ruins… and the complex beneath them. The technology was far beyond what Rico had expected an ancient civilization to be capable of! It was something of a wonder!

Empress Lusamine, still bright eyed and sane back then, had wanted to explore that technology. That was during the days when she had still been a benevolent ruler, as opposed to the broken creature driven mad by addiction that had died several years ago.

He remembered the way she had described it to him during a private briefing with the various scientists brought on to the expedition, her eyes wide with the excitement of new discoveries with wonderful new applications, that could propel the Aether Empire from a small benevolent force, fighting against an indifferent universe to something that could protect every living thing among the stars! 

There had been soldiers present, of course. But they’d never been intended as a fighting force. Just for protection against any bandits using the planet as a hideout, or dangerous local fauna. They weren’t meant for battle...

 

The attack had come in broad daylight. A bold move by any force, and this proved not to be a foolish maneuver, but a viciously competent one. The ships had come out of hyperspace just above their expedition site, and launched their fighters mere moments later. The security had ushered the scientists inside the ancient structures to safety, where they could easily escape via underwater pods if necessary. 

As Rico had fled his field lab, he saw two soldiers in amongst the fighting. Artillery detonated behind them, knocking both to the ground and dislodging a piece of rubble. One of the soldiers, a young woman who wore the patch of a combat medic was pinned beneath it.

He’d stopped, of a mind to rush in and help the poor girl. His compassion outweighing his self preservation. It would have been easy. Even the other nearby soldier could have lifted the rubble off of her… and yet he didn’t… 

He turned and fled, seeing the girl, recognizing her peril… and yet still he fled. But where that man was a coward, Rico was not. He saw the ships begin to circle back for another strike, and bolted as fast as he could for the girl.

She was far, but maybe not too far… maybe he could…

The second volley of artillery came all too soon, and before the white hot plasma incinerated her Rico could see the sobering horror on her face, hear her desperate cries for help and her agonized screams… 

He felt the heat from the blast but not its force… There’d never been a chance that he could have saved her life, and while that loss hurt him, he at least had the knowledge that he had given a damn, unlike that other soldier… He’d had the time. They both could’ve been far away before the second volley.

Someone had grabbed him. A fellow scientist who sought to do karmas work, and bring him to safety. He hadn’t resisted… But before he was pulled into the tunnels below he saw something he had never forgotten.

He heard it first. An enraged howl. From the corner of his eye, he saw the Coward who’d left that girl to die looking up and past him, and when Rico followed his gaze he saw another soldier… This one having cast off her helmet. In the shadow of the light from the twin suns he could not see her face. Only the outline of her wild hair, and her piercing green eyes… Vicious and hate filled.

He saw a red beam appear at their side. A lightsaber. He’d never seen one before… Then, the lightsaber wielder lunged towards the coward, leaping over his head in a display of power he’d never seen before.

He wasn’t able to see what happened next.

 

Later Rico would learn that the attack had come from a faction of religious zealots. They named themselves the Galactic Priests, and had attacked out of the belief that Aether had been intruding upon a holy site. He never crossed paths with them again. Mohn and his forces had beaten them back with relative ease. Part of Rico had wanted to return to that planet, and examine the dig site once more. He remembered how his heart had sank when he’d learned it had been destroyed by Galactic in an effort to preserve its secrets. Such a waste. 

 

There wasn’t really day or night in space. But the cycles were still there on Aether Paradise. Yet despite the quiet darkness of the space station, Rico remained awake. 

He’d dreamed about that day again. Not a surprise. Often he dreamed about the strange, terrible and wonderful things he had seen in his life. Rarely however, did they keep him up like this…

Rico looked towards the communicator on his desk and frowned. He was so sure that he shouldn’t… yet… What harm would there be in reaching out? 

Mulling it over, Rico finally picked up the communicator. Even if she didn’t answer, she’d still get his message. Maybe it might even brighten her day, to hear from a friend. It’d been a couple of days since he left a friendly message. Too long in his books.   
  “Ciao, bella.” He said into the receiver, “Just thought I’d say hello! I’m sure you’re either busy or asleep right now…” A pause. She never seemed to sleep, but hey, he could dream, right?   
  “Give me a call when you can, si? I’d love to hear if you’ve found else anything interesting in that dusty old library. And stay safe, alright? I don’t care if you’re the most powerful Force in the Galaxy… I still worry. Talk soon.”

He ended his recording, and sent the message to the contact labeled Florie. She’d get it, and send a message to reassure him soon. He believed that. She always did. How long had it been since he’d last visited her? Almost a month, now… maybe it was time to check in again, just to be sure. 

Sighing, he glanced back towards his bedroom where Colress, his husband slept comfortably. One of many wonderful and unique people who he’d fallen so hopelessly in love with. 

He had a big family. He liked that, and he wanted it to stay that way.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rico is komala-scientist.tumblr.com


	2. The Other

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Florie has a guest.

Florie paid the beeping of her transmitter little mind. She didn’t need to be one of the few remaining Force users in the Galaxy to know who it was. Only a few people could contact her, and of those few, only one did with such affectionate frequency.  
  
    For a moment, the thought had crossed her mind that he was only calling to announce he’d arrived for a visit… How she hoped it was just that… But there had only been one ship that had pinged her radar, and she was looking right at it.  
  
    It was a fairly small craft. A lone cargo fighter that had been heavily modified and jury rigged. Probably enough room for a couple of occupants… or for one solitary occupant to live. Had this been anyplace else, she would have thought little of the ship. But this wasn’t just anyplace else.  
  
    As far as Florie had know, she was the only sentient life on this planet, and this planet was nearly all untouched alien wilderness, save for the ancient structures that towered above the trees. Old Jedi Libraries. They had been ancient even when the Jedi were old, and had been long forgotten by the rest of the Galaxy…  
  
    Flories common sense told her that this was a bandits ship. Maybe even a smugglers. They thought this place abandoned and chose to lay low, and yet that didn’t feel right…  
  
    She could feel it in the air, a hot static buzz she hadn’t felt in a long time. It would have been easy to ignore, but last time she had ignored it, she had been stabbed by a lunatic attempting to end the Universe. That buzz was a signal that another Force user was here, and it was far more powerful than the buzz she had felt from Samantha…  
  
    Florie looked from the ship, to the stone Library ahead, and the gaping maw that was its entrance.  
  
  “Should I hack the locks, Missy Flo?” A voice behind her asked. She glanced over her shoulder to see one of her two robotic companions, and the only mobile one. Rotom stood patiently behind her, and while his face was not capable of displaying much emotion, she could tell he was could sense her worry.  
  “Leave it.” Florie said, “But keep an eye out… Let’s see what our guest wants first.”  
  
  “If I may, Missy Flo, it might be better to stay out here. Where it’s safe.” Rotom replied, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this…”  
  “So do I. Stay with the ship.” Florie ordered, and reached for the lightsaber in her belt. Eyes focused, she started towards the entrance to the Library, and soon disappeared into its shadow.  
  
  
    The deeper she got, the stronger the other presence became… It’s raw power was stunning, and yet… she couldn’t determine if it was malignant, or simply crushing. There were no other signs of life for the longest while. No sound other than her footsteps… Nothing…  
  
    However in due time, that silence was broken.  
  
  “Interesting. I felt you when I landed… Thought you were someone else, or if not. Just an echo. Was hoping you’d come all the same.”  
  
    Florie paused.  
  “Why are you here?” She asked. Straight to business.  
  “Why are you here?” The Other echoed, “We stand in a library. Why else would we have come?”  
  
  “Knowlege?” Florie asked, “And how do I know you can be trusted with it?”  
  
A laugh. Short and humorless.  
  “You don’t. Do you guard this place? If so… I apologize for my intrusion. Thought it was abandoned. It should have been abandoned…”  
  
    Footsteps sounded in the hallway before her, along with a low, heavy dragging noise, and Florie at last saw a figure emerge from the shadows.  
  
    They were tall, and heavily armored. Their armor seemed ancient in its design. Solid blackened metal with jutting spikes that seemed to curve unevenly as if the very act of being forged had caused it pain. A flowing red cape dragged behind her guest, and just barely concealed the weapon they wielded. An massive metal warhammer that looked big enough to reduce Florie to the most powerful stain on the floor in the universe. She gripped her lightsaber tightly.  
  
Face to face, the figures voice was calm and uncomfortably smooth. She couldn’t determine a gender in it.  
  “ Who are you?” She demanded.  
  “A seeker of information.” The Other replied. “The Universe lies in a weakened state… Easy to collapse, if one knows where and how to strike.”  
  “Then you’re looking to end the Universe?” Florie asked bitterly.  
  “Looking to save it, from a certain point of view.” The Other said, “To do that, I must first know how to end it. An understanding of death is vital to understanding life. Death of the Universe, Death of its Guardians, Death of what lies beyond…”  
  
Florie extended her lightsabers blade.  
  “I'm not here for riddles! That information is too dangerous to leave this place, and I won’t allow that knowledge to leave this planet in the hands of a stranger!” She warned.  
  “You wouldn’t have a choice.” The Other said. “Lower your blade, Guardian. I’ve no interest in killing you.”  
  “You wouldn’t get the chance.” Florie replied, “I’ve killed Tapu! I can handle you.”  
  
The Other remained silent for a moment.  
  “I see… The Godkiller… You leave me no choice, then.”  
  
In one swift movement, the great warhammer was shifted into their hands. An unsteady, glowing red blade appeared along the back of the hammers head, a lightsaber of a sort… The rest of its energy lit up the inside of the hammer, giving the massive weapon a sinister glow.  
  “Come.”  
  
Florie went high, leaping towards the wall, and intending to catch The Other from an angle. They barely moved, not until she was ready to strike. Then, with all of their force, they swung their hammer into the wall. The force behind the strike was greater than any normal being should have been able to muster.  
  
The stone wall cracked and shattered in the instant before Florie jumped again, ruining her angle, and as her Lightsaber came down, the Other quickly put the handle of their hammer between the two of them. The handle seemed to split apart, revealing a red beam of a lightsaber inside.  
  
Up close, Florie could get a better look at the structure of the weapon. The handle was made of interlocking rings, held together by the energy from the lightsaber itself. They seperated and recombined as needed.  
  
In one mighty push, the Other had pushed Florie back, and they lowered the hammer, aiming the very top of the head at her. As she moved to attack again, she felt the space around her shift. This wasn’t a force push… No, this was gravity itself, changing around her and hurling her back down the hall.  
  
She was dropped several meters away, her lightsaber slipping from her hand, and watched as the Other slammed the blunt end of the hammer against one of the stone walls, putting a massive hole in it like paper. They calmly turned and stepped through that hole, leaving her behind.  
  
Grimacing, Florie snatched up her lightsaber and sprinted towards the Other’s escape. They made their way down an aisle of the ancient library, passing through the errant rays of sunlight that beamed in through the paneless windows.  
  
She already knew their plan. Punch another hole in the wall, then leave. That was something she would NOT allow.  
  
Their back was to her, and she reached out with the Force, feeling their weapon, and then forcing it to shut down.  
  
The Other paused, only momentarily but long enough for Florie to make her move. Once more she attacked, and this time she landed a hit. Her lightsaber cut into their helmet… but not through it…  
  
The green blade left a deep red hot gash in the side, and an ugly scar along the back. The Other seemed to only barely feel it, as they turned to glare at her from behind their helmet. Before she could react, one massive, armored knee had come up into her stomach. The Other seized Florie in a powerful force grip, lifting her off the ground, and casting her aside. She was on her feet almost instantly and coming for them again.  
  “Admirable spirit…” The Other observed, “Powerful strikes… But not your style… Desperation. You fear what I’ll do.”  
  
They made no effort to evade her next swing, which scratched the chest of their armor, or her next, which went for the face, mutilating the faceless helmet of their armor.  
  
As she made her third swing, this time aiming for the neck, the Other moved abruptly. Their arm came up to block hers. Their Hammer was dropped, and their leg swept both of Florie’s out from under her.  
  “Dedicated… aren't you?”  
  
As she moved to stand, the Other allowed her to. She spotted her lightsaber, deactivated and dropped onto the ground. She reached for it, only for it to fly into the hand of the Other.  
  “No.” They said, and casually tossed the weapon aside. The armor on their face seemed to pull back, its thick metal pieces floating away and reconnecting to their heavy cuirass and revealing the face beneath…  
  
Intense green eyes stared out from a dark face at Florie. The Other’s hair was wild and unruly, and their heavy jawline seemed to house a perpetual scowl.  
  “You chose this… Come, Guardian. Have your resolution.”  
  
The armor on their chest and legs shifted, exposing the figure beneath. The Other stepped out of their armor with minimal effort. Beneath that armor, they were no less imposing. Their long coat, complete with a crimson scarf tucked into it did nothing to hide their muscular physique. Unhindered, they stood before Florie, waiting for her to fully regain her footing.  
  “Show me your power, Jedi.”  
  
With no other options, all Florie could do was use her fists… Not her first choice, given that she’d trained to be a Jedi, not a Heavyweight Boxer. The Other weaved past her blows effortlessly, allowing her a few swings before they retaliated. They caught her arm, and twisted it. Once more Florie’s leg was kicked out from under her, and she was forced down to the ground. Almost as soon as she was down, The Other let go. It would’ve been easy for them to continue, easy for them to snap her neck right then and there… yet they didn’t…  
  
As she started to stand again, she was punished with a vicious blow to her stomach. They forced her head down, into their knee, then threw her aside like she was nothing.  
  
Florie could hear her ears ringing, and the world around her seemed fuzzy. The Other watched her in knowing silence, and for a moment she felt genuine hate for them… They were toying with her… Mocking her inability.  
  
Eyes narrowed, she reached out, and called her lightsaber to her hand. With a frustrated cry she ignited it and lunged. Her opponent calmly sidestepped her, their expression unchanging and calm. Another swing, another dodge. She slashed at their neck and They just leaned back enough to avoid her blade. Before she could make another move, they launched a quick kick at her knee, knocking her off balance. That split second lapse in her guard was all they needed.  
  
One arm closed around her neck, trapping her in a headlock. The other seized her forearm, preventing her from moving the arm that held her lightsaber. Florie struggled against their grip, teeth bared as she tried to fight, but their grip didn’t let up.  
  “A twitch, and your neck breaks.” They warned, calmly objective about it. “Be still.”  
  
Florie hesitated. The pressure on the back of her neck was undeniable. She knew that the Other wasn’t lying… She knew it would be all too easy for them.  
  
In a final swift movement, her legs were knocked out from under her once more. Her arm was jerked behind her back, and she heard a pop. Pain shot through her body, and again her lightsaber fell. At last the Other released her, and they didn’t wait for her to stand again.  
  
Her shoulder burned with pain, enough to make her scream, and through it all she watched as the Other returned to their armor. They didn’t enter it again, instead gesturing with their fingers. It disassembled, and floated off towards their ship.  
  “You fought well, Godkiller.” They said, “But I am no God…”  
  
They picked up their hammer, unassisted by their armor, or seemingly even by the Force, before looking back at Florie one last time.  
  
    With that, she left, walking away and leaving Florie clutching her dislocated shoulder, heart still racing… and feeling something she hadn’t felt in a long time.  
  
    Fear  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Florie is aetherflorie.tumblr.con  
> The Other is crimsonwrath.tumblr.com


	3. Storm Warning

Ruby emerged from the library, head held high and eyes set forward towards her ship. A ramp descended, beckoning her inside. Wordless, she boarded the ship. 

Her armor had already reassembled itself in the proper place on the ship, and aside from the sound of machinery, all was quiet.   
  “Any casualties?” A voice over the comms asked her.   
  “The one you warned me about needed to be disabled.” Ruby replied, “She’s alive. No purpose in killing her.”

She sank down into a chair, exhaling tiredly, before bringing up one of the monitors displaying a camera into the cockpit. A woman with white blonde hair, serious features and predatory hazel eyes looked back at her. Violet.

Ruby had known her for quite some time. She was little more than a hired gun, but a reliable one to say the least. She and Ruby shared a history, once as enemies, now as allies. The woman had earned her respect.   
  “Any updates?” Ruby asked. Violet gave a hasty nod.   
  “While you were out, I picked up an energy surge, in the Akala system.” 

  “Readings?”   
  “Same as the ones we saw around the Mele system, and at Installation 34. 

Ruby gave a slow nod.    
  “I see… Jones?”   
  “Probably. Hey, buckle, up, preparing for takeoff…”

Ruby felt the ship begin to rise and closed her eyes, forcing her tense muscles to relax. No need to watch Violet work.

  “You’ve already plotted the coarse?” She asked her, as the roar of the ship began to quiet down.   
  “We’re en route right now.” 

Ruby opened her eyes again, and saw Violet leaving the cockpit. She pushed the screen aside, unaware of the momentary bird icon that flashed onto the screen.

A door opened, and Violet joined her in the room.   
  “You look like hell.” She said, “Was the girl that tough?”

  “Tough… But that’s what the armors for.” Ruby said, “It’s getting harder to wear… Too draining on me.”   
  “Yeah? Well, I told you not to bring it.” Violet said, “I’ll prep the bacta tank…”   
  “Thank you.”   
  “You should only use it when you actually need it. You’re the one who said your connection to the Force is failing. Stomping around in that armor’s gonna wear you down faster, and unlike you, I give a shit if you die.”

Ruby gave no response, and so Violet kept talking.   
  “You find what you were looking for?”   
  “It’s with the armor.” Ruby noted, and watched as Violet fiddled with some switches on a wall, opening up a bacta tank, before inspecting the armor. Ruby slowly stood up, and began to strip down while Violet’s back was turned.   
  “You can actually read this?” Violet murmured, examining one of the books she’d retrieved. “This language must be ancient.”   
  “Old, not forgotten.” Ruby replied, “If the Titans haven’t been disturbed… They’ll be where the book specifies.”    
  “And where’s that?” Violet asked, looking back at her. Ruby was down to her underwear, and Violet helped her into the tank, securing her into it and hooking up the IV’s.   
  “According to the book… Solgaleo is housed at the center of the Universe. Supposedly it’s to handle threats inside of it. The second, Lunala patrols the exterior, and keep danger from the outside at bay.”   
  “Does it say anything about what Jones and his friends are after?” Violet asked.   
  “No… Just confirms my theory. That Thing isn’t part of the natural order… if it wakes, I can’t say that the Titans would be able to defeat it.”   
  “Well, that’s why I get paid.” Violet said under her breath, and paused before adding: “If Jones is in the Akala system… He’s going after the Tapu, you know that, right? We’re in for a fight...”

Ruby nodded slowly.    
  “Do we have a backup plan if we can’t shut him down?” Violet asked.   
  “Warn Akala. They’ll defend their Tapu, and the creature will have its own means of defense.”   
Violet frowned at that answer.   
  “You think they’d stand a better chance?”   
  “No. But it would be better than no chance. Don’t let it come to that.”

Violet nodded.   
  “That was the plan, I guess... Rest up. I’ll set us on course for a resupply and then haul ass to Akala. If this goes anything like last time, we’ve still got some time before Jones is ready to launch. Plenty of time to sabotage his takeoff and strand the little bastard.”   
  “Good…” Ruby rested her head back against the wall of the tank. “Thank you.”

Violet closed the lid of the tank, and initiated its sequence. Soon it filled with water, and Ruby drifted off into sleep.

With her associate under, Violet returned to the cockpit. This goose chase had gone well, all things considered, and she was eager to finally end it…

 

Florie gritted her teeth through the pain as she made her way out of the library. She’d heard the ship take off before she could get to it, and knew that this enemy, this Ruby was long gone.    
  “Missy Flo!” Rotom called, shuffling towards her. “Thank goodness you’re alright! I was so worried! I heard the battle and I… You’re injured!”   
  “My arm…” She murmured, “It’s dislocated…”   
  “Can I help?” Rotom asked, and Florie just shook her head, “I need to… Need to get back to our ship… Call Jazz. I need medical.”   
  “At once!” Rotom said, and shuffled off in the direction of the ship. “I did take the liberty of interfacing with the ship while you were inside the Library. I wasn’t sure if you would be okay… I uploaded Jazz into its wireless systems as a precaution.”   
  “Good…” Florie said, “She can track them, then…”

Florie’s ship wasn’t far off. She’d set it up as a base of sorts, a small garden growing inside provided her with food, not that she needed much. She’d never been a big eater, and being able to grow and store her own supplies suited her fine. Plus, Rico had often insisted on visits, where he brought her even more to add to her stores. Most of it made with love by him.

It was cozy, and she slumped down into a seat as an astromech droid rolled towards her.   
  “So… I take it you got your ass kicked?” A voice asked over the comms, as the droid injected her with a painkiller.  
  “The person in there… She was powerful. My lightsaber barely left a scratch on her armor, and the weapon she used… I’ve never seen anything like it.”   
  “You’re lucky to be alive!” Rotom said, and Florie frowned.  
  “Maybe… Call Rico, Rotom.”  
The droid hurried off to do as asked, while the astromech released a couple of claws to grip Florie’s arm.  
  “This will hurt.” The voice on the intercom said. She was used to the harsh attitude of Jazz, her shipboard AI, and the AI controlling the droid as well. 

Jazz was a rare case amongst droids. She’d managed to clone her AI, and while her original body had been destroyed years ago, her mind hadn’t been. Though no one at Aether was quite dumb enough to use the term, she’d mutated into something of a virtual plague, uploading herself into whatever she could. Even Rotom had a bit of her in his head, although either he’d found a way to keep her quiet, or she allowed him to remain in control.

The pain Jazz had warned her about was bad, but not the worst she’d experienced. Still, Florie let out a little whimper as her arm was forced back into place.   
  “That’s gonna bruise, so don’t be too hard on it.” Jazz warned, before her droid returned to its storage bay.    
  “Missy Flo, Rico’s on the line!” Rotom said, and Florie reached for a console, and turned it on. A holographic image of Rico’s face appeared before her.   
  “Ah! Good to hear from you!” He said, sounding just a little sleepy. “I hadn’t thought you’d get back to me so soon!”   
  “I wish it was under better circumstances…” Florie said, exhaustion creeping into her voice, “Someone just showed up at the Library.”

Rico frowned.   
  “Hostile?”   
  “Maybe…” Florie admitted, “They were powerful, and they had some sort of armor that I couldn’t cut through. She had a strange weapon too. Some sort of hammer. I’ve never seen or heard of anything like it.”   
  “You fought them?” Rico asked. Florie nodded.   
  “Yeah… She dislocated my arm.”   
  “They hurt you?!” Rico seemed to try and peer through the hologram at her arm, unable to see it, but still checking for some sign of injury.   
  “I’m fine.” Florie assured him. “The way she fought… it was strange… She had me outmatched. At first, she barely bothered fighting me, but when she did, the armor, the hammer, she ditched it. Even without it, she was too much for me. She could’ve killed me easily… But she stopped after what she did to my arm. I thought maybe she was just toying with me but… I don’t know… Why not just kill me outright when she had the chance?”   
  “Her mistake!” The Doctor growled, “I’ll be on my ship as soon as I can with backup! Are they still there?”   
  “No. They’ve left. Rotom tagged their ship, so Jazz is probably tracking them now.”   
  “Perfezionare… I’ll be there soon.”   
  “No, I’m going after them. We’ll meet up.” Florie said, “Whatever they’re up to. It can’t be good. They came here looking for texts on the end of the Universe, and I’ve got a feeling they’re not going to wait around for long either. The sooner we catch up to them, the better.”

Rico nodded in understanding, and Florie reached into her pocket with her uninjured hand.   
  “One last thing… I found this after the fight. It’s a piece of their armor. I must’ve cleaved it off in the fight. Maybe you can find something. A weakness, I don’t know…”

She held up the small, jagged piece of metal.   
  “Have Jazz run a diagnostic on it.” Rico said, “I’ll analyze it on the way over. I’ll see you soon, signorita.” He offered a weak, but worried smile before signing off.   
  “Rotom… You know what to do.” Florie said, and handed the piece of metal to Rotom.   
  “Of course, Missy Flo!” The droid said, before he was off. Slowly, Florie stood up, and made her way towards the cockpit.   
  “Jazz, have you got a lock on that ship?”   
  “I was waiting for you to ask.” The AI said, “They’re too far out, and moving too fast for us to catch up. But I’ve got access to their navigation. They’re headed to the Akala system.”   
  “Tapu Lele…” Florie murmured. Of course that was where they’d be headed…   
  “Follow them.” She said, sitting down in the cockpit, “Broadcast our location to Rico’s ship too, so he can track us. I think we’re going to need backup.”


	4. Jones

The interiors to these ships were always so… strange… Despite their pitch black exteriors, the interiors were almost blindingly bright. It was difficult to tell just where the light was even coming from. It just… was… 

Alfred Jones had seen many wonders in his life, but the interior of this ship, was one of the ones that baffled him the most.  

The door at the end of the hallway didn’t open like a conventional door. It seemed to dissolve. One second it was there, and the next, it wasn’t. He’d attributed that to some sort of motion sensor. Not everything on these ships was inexplicable. 

Behind the door was a long, vertical hallway, with rounded walls. Inside, Jones felt the gravity around him shift. He floated effortlessly up to the top of the room, and landed on a small platform, passing through another door and onto the ships bridge. The crew on the bridge mostly consisted of men and women in red, warm looking outfits, and near the ships exterior windows, he could spot their leader, a lithe man with horn rimmed glasses, and a far more muscular man in blue with a trimmed beard and bandana arguing.   
  “...your security would be far more useful if they weren’t in the way of MY technicians!” The man with the glasses said.    
  “Your people’ve got no idea what they’re involved in. A ship like this, with no security measures? I don’t buy it. Only a matter of time until one of you eggheads trip something and get us all killed!”

  “Gentlemen…” Jones said calmly, and both men paused. The man in blue stood at attention, and Jones gave him a nod.   
  “At ease, Archie… What’s the issue this time?”   
  “His soldiers are getting in the way!” The other man protested, “We’re behind schedule on our repairs and haven’t touched some of the lower portions of the ship yet because…”   
  “Because you don’t know what you’re doing!” Archie cut in.

Jones only barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes. He wasn’t sure what command had been thinking, putting these two together on this assignment… unless they’d really wanted to test his patience. 

Both men hailed from the Hoenn system, originating from a small, relatively tropical planet, doomed in one way or another. The first man, Archie had come under the impression that the solution to the regular destructive meteor showers and global warming had been to construct an underwater society. He’d even quaintly named his organization ‘Aqua’.    
The second man, known as Maxie had once been a renowned designer and engineer, who’d criticized the flaws of Archie’s plan. He’d argued that malfunctions in his dream underwater society could have easily drowned their planets population, although his proposal wasn’t much better… simply move the population underground.

Both had been recruited independently, hoping to secure funding from Jones’ associates. They hadn’t been thrilled to learn they’d be working together… although left with little choice, they’d simply dealt with it.    
  “I’ll remind you that I am the premiere engineer back home, you blithering idiot. If I recall… you came to me, looking for my aid in drowning our world… Let me, and my people do our jobs!”   
  “Gentlemen… Both of you… Enough.” Jones said calmly. He was a serious man, with wavy brown hair and wiry glasses.    
  “Archie, has there been any security issues so far?”   
  “None.” Archie reported.   
  “Were there any security issues on the ship we scavenged earlier?”   
Archie bit his lip.   
  “None… But that ship had been inactive for Millenia! This one hasn’t been!”   
  “But there’s been no major incidents.” Jones added, before looking to Maxie. The man gave a single nod. Archie just grimaced.   
  “No, Sir…” He finally conceded.   
  “Then I see no reason why you need to pressure poor Maxie here. Tell your people to clear the ship. We’re on a schedule.”   
  “Absolutely not!” Archie said, “Do you have any idea how dangerous this still is? Just because nothing HAS happened, doesn’t mean nothing will! We need to…”   
  “We don’t need such heavy security.” Jones said calmly, looking Archie dead in the eyes. Archie’s expression softened.   
  “We don’t need such heavy security…” He repeated, his tone far more mellow.   
  “You should station your people outside of the ship.”   
  “I should station my people outside of the ship.” Archie agreed.   
  “Right now.”    
Archie turned and quietly left the bridge to comply. Maxie managed a tiny little smirk.   
  “Well… I suppose being a former Jedi has its perks, Mr. Jones.”

  “Many.” Jones replied, “Now… Status report…”   
Maxie nodded hastily, before heading towards one of the technicians on the bridge.   
  “Tabitha. Where are we with the engines?”

The heavyset man he’d spoken to looked up from a monitor.   
  “Looking good, sir. Tests we ran earlier looked promising. This ones in full working condition.”

       Jones gave a nod of approval.   
  “And where’s Courtney right now?” Maxie asked.   
  “In the installation outside. Last I heard she was looking into opening the hangar doors. It’s an uphill battle but she’s good with cracking whatever language whoever built all of this was using.”

  “Good, good…” Jones said softly, “How long until you're confident we'll be able to launch?”

  “Give it a day… there's a few more things my people and I need to go through.” Maxie said. “But I'm confident we'll be ready soon

       Jones opened his mouth to speak again, only for the beep of his pager silencing him.

  “Thank you, Maxie. That will be all.” He said hastily. Maxie gave a nod, and allowed Jones to leave him 

 

       The former Jedi made his way to the dark of the hologram room, a makeshift thing that Maxie and his technicians had constructed, that ran off the ships power. It was well constructed, at least.

       Jones typed an entry key into the rooms pad, and was soon greeted with a holographic image of a stern eyed man in formal wear. His prominent widow's peak gave him a cruel look, and Jones could see a cold intelligence in his eyes.

  “Mr. Giovanni…” Jones greeted. 

  “What's the status of the Necroship?” Giovanni asked. Straight to the point, as always.

  “Operational. Maxie is confident that we'll be able to launch tomorrow.” Jones said. Giovanni nodded.

  “Ahead of schedule then? Excellent.”

  “It is… I don't think Akala will know what hit them.”

   “Regardless, have Maxie and Archie escort the ship. No blunders, Jones.”

      Jones bowed his head in acknowledgement. 

  “What will our next move be, following the success of the Akala campaign?” He asked.

  “We'll know when it reveals itself.” Giovanni said. “Our actions on Akala will cause a notable stir… we'll need to tread lightly in its aftermath.” 

  “I can use Archie and Maxies forces as scouts to monitor what happens in the aftermath.” Jones offered, “Can I ask what they should expect, though?”

       Giovanni provided no answer. Nothing for Jones to do but accept that silence.

  “When all is said and done, Cyrus and his Galactic Priests will unseal the Hushed Casket. Lord Ghetsis has already approved the ceremony…”

  “He thought you needed his approval?” Jones asked wryly.

  “Permit him his delusions. So long as Ghetsis believes he is in control, he will be easy to control.” Giovanni said. He rose from his seat.

  “When the Necroship is launched… you're to observe the success of its mission, and report to me, and the rest of the Inner Council on what happens next… In person. Do not fail, Jones.”

  “When have I ever failed Rainbow?” Jones asked, “I'll report to you soon, Lord Giovanni.”

       The hologram vanished, leaving Jones alone. He left the room, thoughtful and yet… confident.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some people might think about Hetalia when reading this chapter. My answer is Yes.  
> I'm obviously not using the Hetalia character but I have a very deep rooted hatred of Alfred F. Jones and will be venting it here. 
> 
> He's a former Jedi. That's all you need to know for now.


	5. Doctor On Call

The new palace of Aether Paradise was far more humble than the one Lusamine had once had. Even without the massive reactor that the older model had boasted, Lord Gladion chose a smaller, quieter personal quarters.

Now, as the young ruler of Aether stood in his office, something he’d chosen instead of a throne room, he found himself reflecting on that old Palace. The place where he had spent his childhood…

Staring out the window, down at one of the colonies Aether had claimed as its capital, Gladion caught himself wondering if he truly was better than his Mother. Even at her most benevolent, Lusamine had reveled in the excess that power had granted her, and Gladion did admittedly miss it, if only a little bit. 

Looking from the colony down below, to a portrait on his wall, Gladion regarded the smiling expression of his Mother thoughtfully. Even now, he stood confident in his decision that abandoning the lavish luxury she’d lived in had been the right choice, although in honor of her, he had allowed the luxurious burial she’d requested for herself in her last will. Though his feelings towards the woman had been at best, hatred, during the time of her death… He knew that her actions had never been truly her own. She’d been an addict, nothing more. It was a pathetic state for someone to die in.

His attention shifted to the picture on his desk. A smaller, but more meaningful one, of his late sister, Lillie… Often he dreamed of her, and the horiffic end she’d met… He dreamed of his helplessness, and dreamed of watching the hate filled woman who’d murdered her plummet into the abyss of the Tapu’s cocoon, after Florie had put the same sword she’d used to kill Lillie through her black heart. 

He’d had Lillie interred beneath a tree, near the center of Aether Paradise. In the five years since her death, the tree had grown well, and Gladion hoped it would signal new life for Aether and its colonies. He liked to sit beneath that tree with his husband, and allow himself to relax.

 

A buzzing noise stole him from his thoughts, and the voice of his secretary addressed him.   
  “Lord Gladion, your husband is here, along with your guard?”   
  “Nyx?” Gladion asked, confused.

The door to his office opened, and Sun entered, with Plumeria at his side.   
  “Still on shore leave, like you requested.” Plumeria said calmly, “Told me to keep an eye on you, though.”   
Gladion nodded.   
  “Good… She deserves a break.” He paused, and looked at Sun, his beloved husband, “Is something wrong?”

  “Not at all. I’ve just got an incoming call from Doctor Carillo.” Sun explained, “He requested a ship and left Aether Paradise thirty minutes ago.”

  “Florie?” Gladion asked. Sun shrugged.   
  “Either way, he’s makin’ a call to us.” Plumeria said. “Got a feeling he was in a hurry.”   
  “Patch him through.” Gladion said, and let Sun bring up a display of Rico in the center of his office.   
  “Ciao, Gladion.” Rico said. He sounded… frustrated.   
  “Hello, Rico. I figure it must be important if you’re checking in with me. I heard you left pretty fast.”

Throughout his adjustment to his new seat of power, Rico had remained fairly close to Gladion. He’d refused any promotions, being content to stick with his own research, and had been something of a father figure to Gladion over those years. He’d come to respect and appreciate the man, and the council he gave.    
  “Si… Something happened at the library Florie was stationed at…” He said, voice a little grave, “She’s in pursuit of a woman who appeared, possibly with ill intentions… We may have this under control… But…”   
  “You’re not sure.” Gladion finished, “What’s got you spooked?”   
  “Jazz tagged the location the attacker is headed towards. A small moon off a gas giant near Akala. My husband detected several odd readings in that area… Something we’ve both seen before. The signature matches the ones we’ve seen on planets with a certain type of ruins. We don’t really have a name for them.”   
  “You think something bigger is at play?” Sun asked. Rico nodded.   
  “I do. All I’m asking, is that you keep an eye out. I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”    
  “Understood.” Gladion said, and thought about it for a moment, before looking to Plumeria.   
  “Get his co-ordinates and follow him. He may need the backup.”

Plumeria nodded firmly, before turning to leave.   
  “Thank you but I don’t know if that’s…”   
  “She’s already going.” Gladion said, “If you’re worried, I’m worried. Better to have her around and not need her, and she cares about you too, you know.”

Rico sighed, and cracked a weak smile.   
  “Si… I suppose you’re right… There is one other thing too.”   
  “Oh?”   
  “I sent this to Colress already. He may be able to make something of it that I missed. But Florie sent me this.”

A hologram of a shard of metal appeared beside Rico.   
  “It’s the same composition used in those ruins I mentioned. The assailant was wearing it as armor. Very strong and resistant to damage. Her lightsaber wasn’t able to fully cut through it. It does have a weakness to extreme heat, however.”   
  “Don’t lightsabers generate extreme heat?” Sun asked.    
  “Concentrated extreme heat. A lightsaber damages it, but doesn’t cut through. Unless this person is willing to patiently stand still while you take the time to burn through their armor…”   
  “Oh…” Sun frowned, “I take it you’re working on something?”   
  “I have a plan.” Rico said, “But I haven’t had the chance to test it yet.”   
  “Just be careful.” Gladion said, “I don’t want you to get hurt!”   
  “Don’t worry, Papa’s tough.” Rico assured him, before signing off.

  
  


  “Papa’s tough?” Zenith asked, stifling a laugh.   
  “I am!” Rico snapped back, before putting the ship on auto pilot.  

Zenith cracked a small smile at him.   
  “I know, it’s just… well, the delivery…”   
  “I was trying to reassure him.” Rico interrupted, “You want to run the weapons diagnostics or no?”   
  “Right, right…” Sorry…” Zenith said softly, “What exactly did you have in mind for our armored friend?”

Rico made his way over to a large metal case he’d brought inside of the ship.   
  “I call it the Butane Flame Gun. Something I was working on to clear hostile organic lifeforms.” He opened the case to reveal a large weapon. Not unlike a rifle in its overall design, although with a large, heavy barrel. 

  “Butane is part of the base of the flames. But the fuel has various other added compounds. Essentially, it’s napalm plasma, designed to burn hot, and to adhere.”   
  “Half of it’s my design!” Jazz chimed in over the intercom.   
  “It was inspired by modifications she’d made to her original body.” Rico admitted, “Aside from its regular fire mode, the fuel canisters can also be used as incendiary grenades, using a manual thermite charge, and delivering the napalm payload upon detonation. I designed it as a bunker buster. Break through armor, and kill what’s on the other side.”   
  “That’s… a little over the top…” Zenith murmured.   
  “This was supposed to stop an army. Not one person.” Rico said, “But I can guarantee, whoever attacked Florie isn’t going to survive this!”

He closed the case.   
  “All I brought were some anti-tank rounds…” Zenith murmured, “I figured that might be enough.”   
  “Doubtful. I’ve seen that metal withstand direct explosions. I can’t guarantee anti-armor will do much good against it.” Rico said, before turning away again.   

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look I just wanted to give someone the BFG 9000 from DOOM because why not?


	6. Ruins

Ruby could see her… Black hair, just like her own, and yet far paler skin… Perhaps that was what had prevented her from catching on to everything else? The facial features were similar. But the eyes were the same.

Of course they’d be…

Ruby remembered the look on her face when she’d driven her knife through her heart…

 

The bacta tank was draining, and Ruby opened her eyes to see Violet standing outside. The door opened and she stepped out.   
  “How are you feeling?” Violet asked, concerned.   
  “Prepared.” Ruby replied, “Where are we?”

  “Close.” Violet said, “Just above the Moon now… Suit up. We’re cloaked from any radar, but they could still see us.”

  “The sooner we strike, the better.” Ruby said, and quickly set to dressing herself. Violet looked away as she did.    
  “There’s no outward sign of ruins. My guess is it’s an underground launch bay.” She said as Ruby dressed, “I haven’t done any scans or anything but I’m thinking there might be more ships beneath the surface of the Moon. For all we know the whole damn place might just be a complex.”

  “Keep your eyes peeled.” Ruby replied, “What have you seen in regards to enemy presence?”

  “A few ships. Looked like those guys from Hoenn, the blue ones, not the red ones.”

  “Aqua.” Ruby growled, “I’ll be ready.”

The suit of armor mounted on the wall drifted over towards her in pieces, latching onto her body.   
  “Let them rest on you, alright? Don’t burn yourself out like you did at the Library. If you collapse or something, you’ll be in hostile territory.” Violet warned. Ruby’s hammer flew into her hand, before the armors helmet closed around her face.   
  “I know… Stay safe up here.”

Her voice came in through the ships comms, and Violet gave a nod, before returning to the cockpit.   
  “I’ll bring us in for a landing…”

As the ship made its way down to the surface, Ruby stood at the ready near the door. When Violet gave the signal, she opened it, and leapt down to the surface.   
  


  “We’re here. Fingers outta your ass!” Jazz chimed. Florie looked up from her lightsaber tinkering to listen to the sound of Jazz’s voice.   
  “Run a scan. What do you see?” She asked, making her way towards the bridge.   
  “Not much. A couple of ships. Our friend from the Library is keeping a high altitude…” Jazz paused, “I’m detecting a single life form and a signature similar to that of your lightsaber down on the surface.”

  “That’s her.” Florie said softly, “Can you get us in over her?”

  “Probably. But I wouldn’t land…”

  “We’re not going to land.” Florie replied, “I can handle the jump.”

  “Missy Flo, I know you’re tough but…”   
  “As long as we’re in atmosphere, I can do it.” She said. “Jazz… Bring us above her.”

Jazz was silent for a moment, before complying.   
  “Bringing us in… Initiating video recorder in 5. You’re either gonna stick it or you’re gonna go splat and either would be funny.”

  “Your confidence is welcomed.” Florie sighed, and made her way to the door of the craft.   
  “We’re in range…” Jazz said after a few moments, “Last chance to back out…”

  “Missy Flo, please don’t…”

  “Open the pod bay doors, Jazz.”

The doors opened, and Florie stepped out into the void.

 

The wind whipped past her as she fell, and yet she ignored it, focusing on The Force around her. As the ground rushed up to meet her, she controlled her fall… and at last, landed. It was a far gentler landing than it should have been. 

Florie looked around. She’d landed on unforgiving, rocky terrain that reminded her of Mele. She was near a rock formation of some sort, with no sign of the figure from before.   
  “She’s just south.” Jazz said over her earpiece, “You should see her.”   
  “I don’t, she must be cloaked.” Florie replied, looking around. She passed by the rock formation, then paused. 

She cold feel it. The Presence of the Other in the Force. She could see an opening between the rocks… an easy to miss gap…   
  “She’s underground…” Florie said, “Jazz, look for underground caverns.”

With that said she made her move into that opening.

 

The cave wasn’t natural. Florie caught on to that quickly. The walls were made of a similar dark metal to what The Other had worn, and were lit by small crystals. As she descended into the depths of the cave, she could hear movement ahead, and broke into a run to find its source.

It didn’t take her long.

The tunnel terminated in a large cavern with a glass floor, and inside, Florie could see The Other.

They stood facing a group of men and women. Lightly armored, and armed with weapons that stood no chance against her. One of them whipped a lasso at the Other, catching her arm, and trying to pull her towards them. Another attempted the same thing with the other arm. The Other pulled them towards her with a single violent jerk. The energy blade on the back of her hammer cleaved clean through one of her assailants, while the other was tossed aside.

Three of them, armed with spears became her next target. They tried to retreat before the Other brought her hammer down on the middle one. Their two companions were thrown clear of the bloody mist left behind by the body, and didn’t rise again. 

One of the more ambitious ones attempted to lasso the Other again, and she struck them head on with the hammer, shattering and deforming their body as they were thrown aside carelessly. 

Florie could watch no more. Igniting her lightsaber, she leapt into battle, landing behind the Other and landing a strike on their back. Her swing severed their cloak, and they reacted by swinging their hammer at her. She leapt over it, and fell back, allowing the blue shirted assailants to do their work.    
  “FOR AQUA!” One cried, in the moment before the Other impaled them on her hammers blade.

They glared at Florie, as she stood ready to attack, weighing their options. Then, she aimed the top of the hammer at her, and fired a red beam from it. Florie moved to dodge, watching as that beam cut through the glass floor… She dodged, but that had been what the Other was expecting. 

She fired something else from her hammer, near where Florie was about to land. No sooner had she landed, then she was pulled in towards it. The object in question was a small circular disk, but the gravitational pull of it was immense. Florie couldn’t escape it, and was dragged to the ground beside it, unable to move, or lift her lightsaber.   
  “I admire you, Godkiller…” The Other said softly, before turning to attend to the last of her assailants. Most of them tried to flee, and she tore them apart with the same ease she killed those who fought. Her hammer swings left nothing but blood and crushed bodies beneath them. It wasn’t a fight, so much as it was a slaughter.

When it was done, the Other looked back at Florie.   
  “Would you kill me, Godkiller? Do you know what I’m here for?”   
  “Whatever it is… I know it’s not good…” Florie replied, strained under the crushing gravity.    
  “Good… Evil… Subjective terms. What I see as Good, you may not. What you see as Evil, I may not… These people here. They don’t know what they’re doing. I think we’d both call it evil… But this isn’t your fight. It’s mine. The people here, the forces at play. I’ve come to stop them, before they can do something terrible.”   
  “So you murder them?” Florie asked bitterly.   
  “Only way to deal with hostile resistance. Would you be so different in my place?”

Florie remained quiet, as the Other’s mask retreated, revealing her true face.   
  “Besides… I’ve yet to kill you. What does that say of my intentions, Godkiller?”

Still no response to that.   
  “That Gravity Well will keep you secure until I have finished my work. Then, I will collect you, and we will talk some more.” The Other said, and turned to leave. She paused, before looking back at Florie once more.    
  “I’ve never introduced myself, have I Florie? Of course… I know your true name. Thought it inappropriate to use it without first providing mine. I am Ruby… and though you may think me a monster, I am not.”

Then, she left.

 

Ruby found it easy to navigate the halls of the complex. She could sense her prey… it was just up ahead, along with something else.   
   “ _ I sensed you the moment you entered the atmosphere. _ ” A voice on her comms said. Ruby gritted her teeth.   
  “You were slow to act, then. Jones.”   
  “ _ I suppose Archie’s men are dead then?” _ _   
_ __ “Soon you’ll join them.”

Jones laughed.   
  “ _ I’ll see you there, then. Old friend. Perhaps Cassie will be there too? _ ”

Ruby froze.   
  “Never speak that name again… Murderer…”   
  “ _ It was Galactic’s ships that killed her. You were there, you saw. _ ”   
  “You left her to die.” Ruby growled, “No matter… I will crush your skull for that in due time… You can send your regards in person.”

Jones laughed once more.    
  “ _ I’m looking forward to it. _ ”

The comms went silent. 

Bitter and angry, Ruby quickened her pace down the hall. The strain of her armor was noticeable now… but she had no interest in fair play, or displays of pure skill. She only cared for the violent end to Jones and all his allies. If the armor enabled that, then she’d gladly wear it until it killed her.

She exited the hallway, into a large chamber with a familiar ship in its center. From the main body of the ship, extended a long black tower, jutting downwards, and from that tower, crude manifestations of arms and legs, put there with little purpose but to imitate the design of an old ‘God’ Necrozma. 

Ruby spotted a ramp leading into the ship, and began to ascend. 


	7. Launch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Ruby races to stop the launch of the Necroship, Florie and Zenith race to determine who is friend, and who is foe.

_ “We’re in atomosphere, Doc.”  _ Jazz said over the comms.   
  “Grazie… Where’s Florie.” Rico said, entering the cockpit.   
_   “Her ships nearby. She’s not on it, though. Found the ship of her friend nearby too. Seems like they’re both inside some sort of subterranean structure…” _

A map of the nearby area appeared on the dash, with a marker where Florie and the Other had entered.  
  “How close can we get?” Rico asked.  
_“Close. But I’d haul ass. I’m detecting other ships in the area.”_ __  
  “Friendly?” Zenith asked from nearby.  
_“You wanna put credits on it?”_ Jazz asked, and Zenith chuckled.  
  “Never easy, huh?” He slung his rifle over his shoulder, and collected the BFG.   
_“I’m bringing us in.”_ Jazz said, __“Be ready for a hot LZ.”

Rico nodded, and brought up his ships turrets, just as a precaution. Better not to be shot down on the way to aid Florie.   
  “If you see this Other… Take the shot.” Rico ordered Zenith. He just nodded in response as the ship came in for a landing. The ramp lowered, and Zenith hopped out, giving a final glance at Rico.

 

The hard terrain welcomed him, and Zenith could see the cave up ahead. Rico’s ship pulled back quickly, as it had come in, leaving him alone. He left the BFG to hang at his side as he kept his rifle at the ready, and slowly made his way into the caverns…

The dark metal was… eerie to say the least. He’d heard of ruins like this. Rare finds with untold hidden depths, treasures and traps… It didn’t take him long to find Florie either, held fast to the ground by a gravity well! As soon as he entered, he could feel it tugging at him.   
  “Florie!” He called, and rushed closer to her. He paused, studying her current state. 

Florie’s eyes focused on him, and she pushed herself up as hard as she could, exposing the device beneath her. Her message was obvious, and Zenith lined up the shot. It wasn’t hard. The bullet was drawn to the gravity well, and destroyed it on impact.

Florie flopped weakly to the ground, before slowly picking herself up.   
  “Are you alright?” Zenith asked, rushing to her side, “Gods… did that woman do this to you?”

  “Better than what she did to the others…” Florie murmured, looking at the corpses that littered the room.   
  “She… Ruby… She wanted me alive…”   
  “Why?”   
  “I’m not sure. But that’s two chances she’s had to kill me… and she obviously has the stomach for it.”

  “She’s friendly?” Zenith asked, frowning.   
  “I don’t know. But I aim to find out.” Florie replied, and looked at Zenith. How long had it been since she’d seen him? She managed a small, weak little smile.   
  “It’s good to see you again… I missed you.”

  “Huh… Oh! Y-yeah! I missed you too!” Zenith said, red entering his cheeks. Florie reached out to brush a few strands of pink and green hair from his face.   
  “Glad you didn’t change it.” She said warmly, then leaned in to kiss him chastely on the cheek.   
  “Thanks for helping me out.”

Before he could say anything else, she was on her feet again, lightsaber in hand, and heading in the direction Ruby had left in…

Zenith remained behind for a minute, a little too shellshocked to react… but he managed to piece himself together soon enough at least, and followed her, ready to face an enemy he didn’t fully understand…

 

_   “Florie’s safe!”  _ Zenith said over the comms. Rico let out a sigh of relief.   
  “How’s her arm?” He asked.   
_ “Sore, but fine.”  _ Florie replied. Hearing her voice did wonders for setting Rico at ease.  _ “Good to see you guys here!” _ __  
__ “Save it for when I actually see you.” Rico said, cracking a small smile.   
__  “Ships on patrol. Stay high.”  Jazz said.

Rico raised his altitude up a little bit, keeping the ship out of sight of any prying eyes. He could see his guests, however… heading south towards… He glanced at his radar and frowned. The Other’s ship was on the move. Going where, he wondered…    
  
  
  “Commander Maxie… We’re breached…” A woman said. Her purple hair and dull eyes seemed terribly unsettling to most.

Maxie grimaced, and looked to Jones for answers.   
  “We’re out of time.” The Jedi said calmly, “Initiate launch!”

  “What if she’s already aboard?” Maxie asked.   
  “Then she has nowhere to run. Let Archie’s men handle her.” Jones said, “And if worse comes to worse…”

Maxie nodded, and looked at the purple haired woman.   
  “Courtney. Seal the bridge. No one else in or out.”

  “Oh? I can tend to this person if you need, Maxie~” Courtney crooned, “It’s no trouble at all…” Her hand fell to her blaster, its handle marked with notches of her kills.   
  “She’s beyond you.” Maxie said sternly, “Seal the bridge. Disable the gravity lift.” 

Courtney frowned slightly, but nodded.   
  “You really think that’ll stop her?” Tabitha asked from a corner of the bridge, “What about Archie and his people? They’re gonna be pissed when they find they’re locked out…”

  “Better them, than us.” Maxie said, “Initiate the launch procedure. Let’s go kill a God.”

 

Above Ruby, the cavern that held the ship began to open. She looked up, eyes narrowing in frustration. She glanced up the ramp she was headed up, leading into the Necroship.

Blue ships, no doubt belonging to Aqua flooded in through the opening hangar doors, no doubt to catch her in the open. Ruby gripped her hammer tightly, ready to go on the offensive… although there proved to be no need for it. 

Her own familiar black ship appeared behind them, flanking her would be assailants with fire.   
  “Thank you, Violet.” Ruby said into her comms.   
  “ _ I’ve got your ass covered. _ ” Violet replied,  _ “Get in there and shut that- FUCK! _ ”

Twin phaser shots struck Violet’s ship, and she swerved to avoid a second set, as a new ship dipped over the hangar bay. Not Aqua… Not anyone familiar, really. The ship was fairly large, and marked with the design of Aether.

_Florie?_ Ruby thought, before shaking her head.  
_Florie’s backup._ _  
_ “Get out of there!” She yelled into her comms. Violet didn’t reply, but the message was clear. She circled back suddenly, dipping out of the hangar. The Aether ship didn’t follow… it instead trained its guns on Ruby herself…

 

Even from a distance, Rico could recognize the figure on the ramp.   
  “You hurt my Florie, I hurt you…” He growled, before opening fire.

 

Ruby leapt to the side, allowing Rico’s canons to destroy the ramp behind her. She could see the ship lining up another shot, but she refused to allow that… Ruby jerked her hammer forward, launching a shimmering ball towards the ship, and grabbing hold of it…

 

Rico tried to bank to the side… only to find he couldn’t…   
  “ _ Gravity anomaly detected! Something’s got us!”  _ Jazz warned.    
  “Fire emergency thrusters!”

The ship rocked, but didn’t move.    
  “ _ Too strong!”  _ Jazz cried, and Rico gritted his teeth. He knew better than to fire like this. To do so would risk blowing his ships guns, and possibly even death… She had him hostage…

 

Ruby studied the ship for a moment, and from the corner of her eye, spotted Florie emerging into the hangar bay with a figure she recognized, but had not met. The famed Aether Admiral Zenith. 

Ruby jerked her hammer to the side, swinging Rico’s ship like a ragdoll, and casting it away. It slammed against the wall of the hangar, and was dragged down the side, in a controlled crash, before she let it go, and let the ship collapse to the ground below…

 

   “RICO!” Zenith called, eyes wide as he watched Rico’s ship crash. He’d seen worse… but he’d also seen far better… 

No response over the comms.   
  “Jazz?” Zenith asked, voice frantic. Still nothing but dead air.

Florie stared wide eyed ahead at Ruby, who calmly looked back at her, before turning away and continued into the ship. The entire chamber rocked as the Necroship powered on, ready to launch at any moment.     
  “She’s not friendly.” Florie decided, and ignited her lightsaber.   
  “Florie, WAIT!” Zenith called, only to watch Florie break into a sprint. She leapt over the gap in the ramp, in pursuit.   
  “Gods… Damn it…” Zenith murmured, as he watched her go, before his eyes shifted to an intact, nearby ramp… No other options, it seemed…   
  
  “Launch is initiated.” Ruby said into her comms, “Are you alive?”   
_ “Affirmative. Where’s our Aether Friend?” _ __  
__ “Grounded. Stay outside the hangar, when the ship rises, target the rear thrusters. Cripple it. I’m going after the Bridge.”   
__ “Don’t get killed. ” Violet warned, and Ruby cracked a half smile, as she disappeared inside of the ship. A glance back revealed Florie rushing up the ramp towards her, and Ruby narrowed her eyes before closing and locking the door behind her. Not much of a means to stop her… but it would have to do…

Ruby turned around, and advanced down the hallway, as she heard Florie’s blade crash against the door behind her.

The hall led into a larger, longer hall… and there, Ruby saw resistance. A massive man in Aqua attire stood waiting for her. Not Archie, he was far too big. She recognized this man as his second in command. Matt. A large, yet antiquated battleaxe, formed of an sharpened, modified anchor, and enhanced with kyber crystal waited in his hands. How quaint...   
   “End of the line, Bitch.” Matt growled, glaring intently at her. Four of his grunts, armed with blasters flanked him, and Ruby could hear Florie’s lightsaber carving through the door behind her.

She’d faced worse odds…

Ruby moved first, launching a gravity wave at Matt. He evaded it, his grunts did not. He swung his battleaxe, and Ruby parried it with her hammer. She heard the door in the hall break, and timed her next movement accordingly, swinging Matt around to put his back to Florie as she joined them in the hall. She took a step back, and unleashed another gravity wave, throwing Matt back, and sending him crashing into Florie. 

She looked at the Aqua grunts, floating and struggling in their new lack of gravity. Ruby aimed the hammer at them, and twisted one of the rings on the handle. The grunts let out cries of protest as they were violently forced together until…

Matt let out a scream as his own people were crushed like insects, while Florie watched in quiet horror. Though he was a stranger, she stood at Matt’s side, noticing the uncertain side eye he gave her. There was no trust, not really… but Matt at least seemed to understand that Florie was after Ruby, not him. He accepted that. 

Florie moved first, leaping to the wall, and then behind Ruby, who allowed her to make her move, stepping to the side to try and keep Florie and Matt in her vision. Florie didn’t allow her that. She drew her attention, and Matt swung his battleaxe again. Ruby clumsily stumbled out of the way, letting the axe bury itself in the floor, and using her hammer to launch a gravity wave at Matt, sending him back. Florie punished her distraction with a slash across her arm, not cutting through her armor, but marring it. Ruby drove the butt of her hamer into Florie’s stomach, and tried to launch another gravity well at her. As it flew, Florie cleaved it in half.

Matt’s hammer was ripped from the ground, striking Ruby’s helmet, and leaving a horrifying gash in it. She growled in either pain or frustration. 

Florie reached out with the force, seizing Ruby’s hammer, as she raised it to strike Matt, and allowed him another blow on their common enemy. Ruby seemed to struggle to move, and stumbled as Matt slammed his axe’s blade into Ruby’s stomach. 

Ruby lowered her arm, and the armor on her forearm flew off of it. One piece latched on to Matt’s eyes, blinding him, while another went for his wrists, binding them together. 

_That’s the first time I’ve seen her use the force._ Florie noted.  
_Maybe it’s what’s keeping that armor together?_

Interesting. A weakness, perhaps?

Florie made a swing for Ruby’s exposed arm, only to see her pull back suddenly, dropping her hammer in the process. Her helmet pulled back, and hovered off of her head in pieces, before it was launched at Florie’s face.

The impact stunned her, before her world went black, and she felt herself collapse. The helmet was on her head now, and Gods was it heavy! She lost her focus, and through the narrow eyeholes, could see Ruby seize her hammer, and slam it into Matt’s mighty chest. The man was thrown back, his battleaxe scattered somewhere in the hallway. Ruby’s armor returned to her hand, and then she set her sights on Florie. 

Florie tried to force the armor off of her head. She could feel it budge… but it still felt so heavy… how did Ruby manage this? She stumbled back a few steps, as Ruby aimed the head of her hammer at her, no doubt preparing another gravity attack, when…

Florie saw her eyes flit to the side, then widen. The helmet was torn from Florie’s head, and encompassed Ruby’s once more before a jet of green flame overcame the woman.

Zenith.

He stood there, the BFG in his hands and aimed at Ruby.   
  “Pick on someone your own size!” He cried, half triumphantly. Ruby seemed to try and shield herself from the flames, and stumbled back a few steps. Even after Zenith’s fire had subsided, the green napalm glowed hot on her pitch black armor.

Florie’s eyes widened, then lit up. Now she could fight back…

Using Zenith’s distraction, Florie threw herself at Ruby, raising her lightsaber to attack. She cleaved into the red hot armor, and felt her lightsaber go deeper. Ruby recoiled, and blindly swung her hammer. She stumbled back carelessly, and brought the hammer down onto the ground between them. A gravity shockwave threw Florie back, and Zenith rushed to her side.   
_   “Damn you…”  _ She heard Ruby growl. Her armor hovered away from her body, revealing a look of utter rage on her face, and keeping her safe from the flames. Zenith raised the BFG to fire again, and the armor reconfigured into a shield, protecting Ruby from the blast. 

A piece of the shield was launched at Zenith, nearly striking him. It would have, had Florie not seized him by the shoulder and pulled him out of the way. The molten armor exploded as it struck the impossibly bright wall of the Necroship, and Ruby stumbled back a few more steps.

Behind her, Florie could see Matt coming too. Alive after all, it seemed… Ruby shifted her attention, only for a moment… but it was enough of a moment. 

Florie went on the offensive, bounding off the wall, and around the shield. Ruby only barely had time to parry her with her hammer, which broke apart once more, revealing the red lightsaber inside. A gravity pulse put a little bit of room between the two, and Ruby pulled a piece of her burning armor between the two of them. Florie slashed at it, only to find that she cleaved through it easily.

Rico’s napalm had done its work, and the look of rage on Ruby’s face was priceless. From the corner of her eye, she seemed to notice Zenith charging up another shot. Florie saw it too. 

Matt rose to his feet, watching the battle for a moment, as if deciding whether or not he wanted to join. 

Florie made her move, and Ruby punished that with another gravity pulse, waving a hand at her molten shield and splitting it in half. Half of it was launched at Florie, forcing her to evade. The rest was launched at Zenith.

Too late to cancel his shot. The BFG’s blast struck the molten armor as it raced towards him, and the resulting blowback hurled him away. Florie dove out of the way of Ruby’s molten armor and let it crash against the wall behind her. Instinct took over, as she rushed to check on Zenith. A perfect opportunity for Ruby, who backpedaled from them, and looked at Matt now.

Her eyes and Matt’s locked, before he climbed to his feet, and ran, slamming on a wall console to close the blast doors behind him. It did little to deter Ruby. Her hammer unleashed a pulse of energy, and the doors froze in their half assembled state. 

Zenith slowly climbed to his feet, and was almost there as Florie reached his side.   
  “I’m fine…” He murmured, and reached for his rifle, training it on Ruby’s retreating form. The shot was perfect… and he took it.

Ruby froze, and as the round flew towards her, starting from the top of her hammer, the air around her shimmered. Zenith saw a red flash emerge from the handle of the weapon, and quickly soar up the the top before it happened. His round seemed to stop a few feet away, before slowly fizzling out. She looked back at Zenith, then at Florie, before the blast doors solidified behind her.

 

The Necroship rose high above its hangar, and the Aqua ships had already caught on to Violet’s game.

She dodged incoming fire, and returned it where she could as she fought to get closer to the thrusters. One ship nearly clipped her, and forced her into a barrel roll to evade its friend that tailed it. Her shields took a hit for that one, and she was forced to break off. As she’d expected, the two ships followed her, and Violet pulled her ship up, letting herself loop around behind them.

The Aqua Pilots pulled up, but failed to understand what Violet’s plan had been. They left themselves exposed, and they died for that mistake.

Violet shot through their ruins and banked to return to the Necroship, firing upon a foolhardy fighter who tried to charge her.

Something hit her on her starboard, and her ship rocked violently.

That wasn’t an Aqua fighter.

Battered, but still airborne, an Aether ship entered Violet’s field of vision. Her eyes narrowed. Looks like that crash had only incapacitated the ship, not disabled it…

And Ruby wasn’t around to cover her this time. 

Swearing under her breath, Violet locked on to the Aether ship.   
  “Alright you persistent bastard… Try this…”   
_ “Not gonna happen, genius!”  _ A voice over her comms said. Violet’s eyes widened as an unfamiliar bird logo took over her ships interface.   
_ “Say bye bye to your systems! Targeting… Shields… Automatic steering, that looks important!” _

Swearing, Violet hastily flicked a few switches on her console. She didn’t know what the hell this was but she knew it was bad.  
_“Go ahead, bitch! Go in manual! See if I ca-”_ _  
_ The voice was silenced, and with it, most of her interface… She was flying blind, and everyone wanted her dead.

 

With Zenith at her side, Florie extended a hand towards the closed blast doors, trying to get a feel for how they worked. Her lightsaber couldn’t cut them, whatever this was, she suspected it wasn’t even metal.

Zenith inspected the console, tapping away at the buttons frantically before his luck came through. The door seemed to dissolve, allowing them entry into the hallway.

Ruby wasn’t far ahead, walking at a brisk pace as Matt openly fled from her. Florie broke into a run, with Zenith at her side. Matt had already stopped at the end of the hall and was messing with a console at another door. The door vanished, and Matt stepped inside, with Ruby leisurely gaining on him. 

He yelled into his comms, pounded on the console inside the room, before finally breaking it, and trying to hotwire it. Ruby was almost there, and Florie was catching up to her…

Matt cowered in the corner as Ruby came upon him. She fixed him in a calm, cool gaze, but made no move against him, instead looking back at Florie.

That seemed to be enough to give Matt some courage. He let out a determined cry and grabbed at Ruby’s hammer. Big mistake.

The rings of its handle came apart, exposing his fingers to the lightsaber within. Matt screamed as they were severed, and Ruby effortlessly hurled him from the room, before tapping her hammer against the ground, and rising up to the ceiling of the deactivated gravity lift.

Florie broke into a spring, rushing past Matt as he writhed in pain and screamed at his mangled hands… rushing into that room and leaping to grab at Ruby’s foot before it was too late…

  
Zenith stopped in his tracks as Florie and Ruby disappeared up the deactivated gravity lift. No way he could follow them there. Matt curled in a ball at his feet, wailing and screaming, and Zenith looked down at him, before kneeling down and seizing the man by the shoulders.   
  “Listen to me!” he demanded, “Where are they going?”   
  “B-bridge…” Matt stammered, looking from his hands, to Zenith. “T-the lift leads to the Bridge…”   
  “And how else would I get there?”


	8. The Bridge

Florie was thrown upwards. Her grip on Ruby’s boot slipped, but that wasn’t enough to free her from the forces the woman’s hammer propelled. Her body slammed against the side of the inactive gravity lift, and she swung her lightsaber blindly in hopes of catching Ruby somehow.

The woman above her weaved expertly out of the way, landing smoothly on the wall, and kicking off, exactly as she’d seen Florie do all too many times. Ruby was launched ever higher, and regarded Florie with interest, before the energy coming from her hammer faded.

Florie fell, and drove her lightsaber into the wall of the gravity lift to prevent herself from falling all the way down. Ruby had been wise enough to stop her descent beside a door, a few floors below the bridge itself. She studied Florie carefully, before looking around, to choose a spot to leap to.

Florie moved first, disengaging, then reignighting her saber to pursue. Ruby went next, leaping to a landing beside a door. Florie almost made it there as well, catching herself just a few feet below, before Ruby departed.

It wasn’t much of a chase, but it was a chase. As Ruby leapt, Florie leapt, covering a few extra feet with every bound, slowly getting closer… One more landing remained.

Ruby stopped just below the bridge now, and looked down at Florie, who was already getting ready to leap again. Huffing in approval, she gripped her hammer, and aimed it at the final remaining door, charging up a powerful blast, and then losing it.

Florie gripped her lightsaber tighter, out of fear of falling, losing ground… losing Ruby.

The gravity lift chamber rocked, and Florie winced as she heard the explosion. From the corner of her eye, she saw Ruby leap, and she lept onto the landing she’d been on moments before, before following her into the bridge.

Through the dust and debris, she could see the flash of lasers firing, and the crimson blade that adorned Ruby’s hammer. The sound of gravity impacts, and shattering bone served as the only soundtrack to the dismal sight.

Without her armor, Ruby was faster, and all the more deadly with that hammer of hers… and as she saw her move through the smoke, Florie began to question if cracking that unbreakable shell of hers had been a wise move after all…

 

  “She’s on the bridge!” Tabitha cried, and Maxie felt his heart sink. Even without the approaching noise, he knew that she’d come for them…    
  “Evacuate.” He said, looking to Tabitha, then Courtney.   
  “I’ll hold her off!” Courtney cried, and Maxie shook his head.   
  “NO! She’ll kill you. Where the hell is Archie?”

Tabitha hurried to the small holodeck on the bridge to page the man in question, and Maxie looked past him, to the figure of Jones, calm amongst the chaos.   
  “I’ll ensure that your people make it to safety…” The Jedi said calmly. “Tell Archie to fall back as well, would you?”

  “You’re sure you can hold her off?” Maxie asked sceptically.

Jones simply smiled.   
  “My friend… when she sees me, she’ll forget about all of you…” He patted Maxie on the shoulder.   
  “I’ll be seeing you soon.”   
  “I’ve got Archie!” Tabitha cried, and Maxie watched as Jones readied his lightsaber, not igniting it just yet, simply holding it. He looked to Tabitha, and the holographic face of Archie, then to Courtney.   
  “Get a move on.” He ordered her, “Unlock the engine room doors. Use the escape pods.”   
  “Yes sir…” Courtney said softly, and set to work rounding up both Magma and Aqua personnel on the bridge. As Maxie drew near, Tabitha hurried off to help Courtney.   
  “What’s the problem?” Archie asked, frowning. He looked far worse for wear.   
  “The Necroship is breached.” Maxie said softly, “We’re evacuating. My Magma Scientists are falling back to the Jagged Pass. We’re taking any Aqua personnel we find.”   
  “What?” Archie barked, “Breached by what?”

  “Take a single guess.” Maxie replied, and Archie grimaced.   
  “Damnit… Fine… We’ll sort out our men later…” He paused, before shaking his head, “Thank you…”   
  “I don’t care what differences we have, I’m not throwing more Hoenn lives to die at the end of that woman’s Hammer! Just stay clear, and stay safe out there!”

  “Aye… Likewise, Maxie. Be seeing you real soon…”

The hologram cut out, and Maxie adjusted his glasses.

_ Better a live oaf than a dead ally…  _ He thought, and took one last look at Jones, before clearing the bridge.

 

As she drew close to the final door of the bridge, Ruby swung her hammer against it. One moment it was there, the next the door had dissolved outright. With Florie on her heels, Ruby calmly stepped through, and found the bridge empty… save for one man… a man she wanted to see.  
Jones studied her from behind his glasses, and ignited his blade.  
  “No one else needs to die today.” He said softly.  
  “Don’t hide behind nobility now, Jones.” Ruby said bitterly, pausing as she heard Florie come to a stop behind her, joining them both on the bridge. Jones regarded the newcomer quietly, then narrowed his eyes.  
  “You’re outnumbered.”  
  “You place too much faith on numbers.” Ruby replied and glanced back at Florie.  
  “You… You’re not familiar with this man, are you?”  
  “Seems you two are already acquainted.” Florie replied, glancing between the two of them.  
  “As are you.” Jones said, “You must be Florie… the Legendary Godkiller… I myself am a great admirer of your work…”  
  “Enough so, that he aims to finish it.” Ruby hissed.  
  “Please… In order for something new to begin, what’s old must be torn down!” Jones said, “Florie… my dear, sweet Florie… You were doing so well, did you know that? I confess… Aether… Lusamine’s ambitions were misguided, as were that Interlopers. All of it built on old legends, warped beyond recognition. Killing the Tapu, ending the Universe. Too simple, wouldn’t you agree? While it would… destabilize things… and require the intervention of powers unseen since the dawn of Time, it would also bring about the opportunity for great change! Look at the world around us, our Galaxy, our Universe. What a flawed and violent place it is, a place where a dead Sith with a hammer can decimate a team of scientists for sport…”

Jones fixed Ruby in a knowing gaze.   
  “Our old Gods, are lazy and apathetic… Their rein has gone on far too long, and in order for the Universe to be set right, to be balanced… We need something benevolent. We need Necrozma.”   
  “And how can you know that your ‘Necrozma’ is so Benevolent?” Florie asked, eyes locked with Jones’ now.   
  “Who do you think led the Jedi Order?” Jones replied, “Who do you think leads what’s left of us…” A small smile crossed his lips.   
  “Who do you think your Mother, Holly trusted?”

Florie’s heart skipped a beat.   
  “What…”   
  “You look so much like her, you know… She loved you, enough to go into hiding to protect you. Would you hazard a guess as to from whom?” His eyes settled on Ruby. While the woman barely seemed too much older than Florie herself, Ruby’s eyes still narrowed.   
  “Who do you think killed the Jedi?”    
   “Enough from you, Bastard…” Ruby snarled, and made her first swing. Florie’s lightsaber came between Jones and Ruby, and as expected, the hammer broke apart to parry it. This swing wasn’t like before, Florie buckled from the raw force behind it, and felt her lightsaber quaking in her hands.

She could see the red beam inside the hammer… and from this angle, she could see its source.The Hammer… the design was modified, but at the end of the day, it was a lightsaber like any other, and just maybe that told her how to disable it…

Jones watched as Florie defended him, and as Ruby shoved Florie aside, he wove to the side, evading her next attack, and raising a hand to unleash a powerful jolt of force lightning at her.  _ That’s a sith ability… _

The thought lingered in the back of Florie’s mind. Ruby’s hammer absorbed the lightning, and directed it back in a gravity burst, that Jones only narrowly avoided.

She didn’t quite know who to trust… but she knew that both of these people had answers… and she needed them both alive.   
  
  “Got you…” Rico growled under his breath. The cut on his forehead stung, but his senses had never felt sharper. Jazz was offline, but not her systems. Even without her voice, he could feel her at work. The black ship was clumsy, a sign that its pilot was in manual, and his own systems worked like a dream, even without Jazz and her unnecessary sass. 

Rico fired for the thrusters, and as he did, he noticed some of the Aqua ships breaking off. As the Necroship rose higher and higher, and his prey tried in vain to evade him, while staying close, Rico noted the surrounding landscape from the corner of his eye.

He could see pods launching from the rear of the oddly shaped Necroship. Escape pods, probably… and he caught himself wondering just how bad the situation on board that ship really was. He’d heard nothing from Zenith or Florie. Comms were down along with Jazz, and all he had was hope that they were pulling through alright…

 

Ruby ducked a beheading swing from Jones, and a follow up from Florie.    
Sliding back a few steps, a gravity wave escaped her hammer, sending the other two combatants falling. Florie was on her feet first, and making her move for Ruby, eyes trained on the hilt of her hammer, looking for the perfect opportunity to disable. Ruby seemed to recognize that too…

Both women moved, Florie to try and draw her attention, Ruby, oddly enough into what would have been her trap. A pulse from her hammer tossed Florie aside… and out of the way of Jones’ lightsaber… It pierced through the air where she would have been, had he intended to skewer her and use her as cover?

Either way, his lightsaber grazed Ruby’s shoulder, but the maneuver cost him. Her hammer struck him in the shoulder, launching him across the bridge. Florie and Ruby exchanged a look, warily regarding each other, before their attention shifted to Jones. 

The man rose to his feet, a drop of blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth, and his glasses slightly askew. He sized up Ruby, then Florie, planning his next move…

 

This Aether ship was nothing but trouble… 

Violet tried to outmatch him, but whoever was piloting it clearly knew his stuff, and in manual, all she could do was move, and avoid his fire. The front of the Necroship loomed ahead, and Violet could make out twirling lightsabers through the glass windows…

Lightsabers…

Ruby, and maybe more possible enemies…

An idea formed in the back of her mind, and she directed her ship towards the bridge.

 

Seeing his prey dart towards the bridge of the massive ship, Rico followed. For a change, his quarry flew straight. In the back of his mind he suspected a trap, but not quite what that trap actually was… He had her in his sights, all he had to do was…

The target ship suddenly decelerated, dropping out of his line of sight. Rico felt a stab of panic as he realized just what their gambit had been. The bump to the bottom rear of his ship was impossible to miss, and for just a moment, he lost control. All it needed to take was a moment.

 

Florie saw it out of the corner of her eye, Rico’s ship on the other side of the Bridge’s window, chasing Ruby’s. The sight of him alive made her heart skip a beat in joy… but what came next…

The ship he pursued lost speed fast, and dropped down below him, before shooting up, and clipping his thrusters. Jones seemed to it too, as did Ruby. In an instant, their battle was forgotten, as the three combatants stood to brace before Rico’s ship crashed into the bridge.

Florie ducked behind a console, hearing the impact, and feeling the entire room tremble.    
  “NO!” She heard Ruby snarl, and peeked out, just in time to see a door on Jones’ side of the bridge close. Ruby leapt over Rico’s ship, it hadn’t even stopped moving yet, and Florie was torn between checking on Rico, or following her.

She let her gut instinct take over first, rushing to Rico’s ship, and igniting her lightsaber, to pierce through the hull of his ship. It didn’t take her long enough to carve a hole big enough for just herself, and stumble into the good Doctor’s ruined ship.   
  “RICO?!” She called, scrambling towards the cockpit, and tearing it open. She was greeted by the man in question, on his feet and bloodied, but unsteady. He collapsed into her arms.   
  “Are you alright?” She asked, almost desperate now.   
  “Si… Si…” Rico murmured, “It’d… take more than that, Bella…” He coughed, then paused, gripping Florie’s arm.   
  “B-Bella?” His eyes lit up a little, and he pulled Florie into a weak hug, sinking to his knees as he did.   
  “You look… You’ve been better…”    
  “So have you…” Florie said softly, letting out a sigh of relief. Rico was fine. Rico was alive… That was all she could ask for… 

She laid him down gently against a wall.   
  “Just rest.” She ordered, and ignited her lightsaber again.   
  “I’m sorry about your ship…”

He just managed a weak laugh as she carved herself a new hole.   
  “Bella… I don’t think I was going to fix this anyways…”

 

The engine room of the Necroship was different than the polished hallways. Black machinery whirred and hummed, and Jones weaved expertly through it, putting his pursuer far behind him.

He ascended a flight of steps, and looked back to see Ruby failing to keep up him, and he cracked a small smile. Even further behind, he saw Florie joining them, dragging a man in white behind her. She set him down, checking on him one last time, before pursuing Ruby.

Ah… The perfect distraction.

Jones cleaved through the catwalk he stood on, and rushed to the other end, before cleaving through the other end, and letting it fall into the machinery below, where it landed with a clatter.

Then he turned, not wanting to wait for Ruby to try and follow him. There was a lifeboat waiting just for him.

 

Ruby came to a stop at the end of the ruined catwalk, and swore under her breath, looking around for a way past. She found it in the form of some flat gears, and leapt onto the first one, slowly making her way up, in the hopes of catching up to Jones before…   
  “Stop!” Florie called behind her, and Ruby froze, letting out an agitated sigh.   
  “Leave me to my work.” She said, looking back at Florie.   
  “Maybe you should tell me what your  _ work  _ entails…” Florie replied, “I’m not sure which of you I should worry about more, but until I know for certain…”

  “Which one of us has tried to kill you, and which settled for simply setting you aside?” Ruby asked, “Which one of us wants to kill a Tapu?”

She hefted the weight of the hammer in her hands.   
  “Stand down… Get in the way of my revenge, and I will kill you” Ruby warned.Florie readied her lightsaber, as if she never had a choice at all.

She leapt up onto the gear after Ruby, and the woman leapt away from her. Florie followed, her blade clashing with the head of Ruby’s hammer. She was punished with a burst of gravity energy, and only barely escaped a blow that would have killed her in retaliation. Florie held her lightsaber at the ready, and watched as Ruby aimed the top of her hammer at her, and loosed a red beam, not unlike that of a lightsaber. The beam carved into the machinery beneath Florie’s feet, and she was forced to evade. Ruby simply glared at her, letting the attack happen, until…

There was the crack of a blaster shot. The beam stopped, and Ruby whirled around to see her new assailant.

Above them both, looking down through the scope of his rifle, was Zenith. Florie saw the slightest wink from him, before he took aim again, forcing their mutual target to stay on the move. Ruby leapt from the gear, onto a flat piece of metal, and Florie followed her, her lightsaber coming down on her. As expected, Ruby’s hammer broke apart, revealing the red lightsaber within. 

Their blades clashed, and Florie jerked her body to the side, forcing Ruby to turn with her… a move that the otherwise infuriated woman fell for…   
  “Big mistake…” Ruby growled.   
  “Agreed.” Florie replied, and for an instant, she saw realization appear in Ruby’s eyes.

Zenith’s rifled fired again, and this time, his shot was perfect. All but gift wrapped by Florie.

It struck just beneath Ruby’s hand, into the mechanism of her hammer, and shattered the kyber crystal inside. Ruby was granted only a split second to retreat, before the force keeping her hammer together disappeared completely, leaving the metal that had constructed the weapon to collapse uselessly to the ground.

She’d been disarmed.

A look of wild disbelief filled Ruby’s eyes, and beneath that… rage…

Florie kept her lightsaber at the ready, locking eyes with her now armorless, and disarmed quarry.   
  “No… No… No… Not again…” Ruby murmured under her breath. “He can’t escape AGAIN!”

From her coat, came a trench knife, serrated, with a spiked finger guard. Florie tried to defend against the more primitive weapon, but Ruby’s speed was too much for her. Her initial lightsaber strike was evaded, and Ruby kicked at her leg, punishing Florie’s movement with a blow to the face that left deep scratches in her cheek. As Florie tried to recover, Ruby forced her head down, and kicked at the back of her knee, forcing her to the ground. Zenith fired once more, only to miss. 

Florie tried to slash at Ruby behind her, but the woman was just out of her reach. Ruby slid her arm under Florie’s lightsaber arm, and pressed the metal of the knife against her throat, holding her as a shield between herself and Zenith.   
  “DROP IT, Or I’ll throw you up her head.” The woman snarled.

Zenith froze, gun trained on Ruby, but reluctant to fire. Florie tried to weigh her options. Maybe, if she released her grip on the lightsaber just right, she might just stand a chance of running Ruby through… and more than likely, herself in the process… Slowly, she tried to turn her wrist, bringing her crackling blade towards Ruby’s back, only to have the knife dig into her throat, drawing blood.   
  “Drop if… Kill me, you die too. I’d rather avoid that.” Ruby whispered to her. Florie almost gave in…

Then came a blaster shot. Zenith hadn’t moved, and Florie felt Ruby tense against her, a gasp of pain escaping. There was another shot, then another, before Ruby at last went slack, and Florie killed her lightsaber, almost weighed down by the sheer weight of her former captor. She managed to let her down easily at least, and as she did, she spotted her savoir, standing nearby at the edge of the ruined catwalk.

Rico, blaster in hand and set to stun. He panted softly, before offering Florie the tiniest of smiles. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
